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Nil output with hospital grade pump??

Hi ladies. I've posted on the EP board but needed to ask something else and I think this would be a better place to ask it.

I've been recently using a Medela Swing to pump since DD has gone on a strike (that seems to be never ending) and I decided (since I was only getting a max of an ounce in total every 4 hours) to rent a Medela Symphony. It's cost quite a bit, but what I'm most concerned about is that since I started using it, my output has dropped to nothing. If I'm lucky, I'll get a couple of drops, but otherwise I get nothing. The bottle is empty, and the little yellow membrane thingy doesn't even have anything in it. Seriously? Is this worth the money/effort/time? Am I just not doing it right? My breasts are a nice 40G (UK size) and my nipples are flat and tiny.. the horns I'm using are the standard ones. They take in nipple and areaola so I'm not to worried about that (unless of course you see a problem). I just wondered if there was something I'm doing wrong, and if there is something more I can do to help? At the moment I'm pumping every 2-3 hours in the day and every 3-4 hours at night. Have been doing so for the past 3 days now with the Symphony..

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated as I really hate the idea of giving DD formula. Thanks!

Jarred - 12/June/2007 - BF for 3 months - stopped due to medical reasonsLilly - 4/May/2010 BF for 8 months - On strike between 1/1/2011 - 29/3/2011 - That's 12 Weeks and 3 days!! It is FINALLY over!
Together we battle with Cows milk, nuts and soya allergies, but we're making it!
We , , and too, but we had problems..EP'ED for 3 months!

Thomas born Feb 14th 2015 by emcs due to him presenting sideways with a hand first! Trying EBF again!

Re: Nil output with hospital grade pump??

my first thought is that there is something wrong with the pump you rented. If you were able to get milk out with the other pump, then try that pump again. It is odd that with the rental that you arent able to get anything at all...

you should get SOMETHING...

try the old pump again and see what happens!

good luck!!

Mommy of 4,
3 who I watch over, 1 who watches over all of us

J- 8/20/05 pumped breastmilk for 11 months due to his cleft lip and palate!

M- 10/17/07 my precious baby lives forever in her mommys heart

M- 3/31/09 my special gift, she helps heal her mommy and daddys heart. Nursed for 4 years and 10 days, self weaned the day her baby brother was born!

Re: Nil output with hospital grade pump??

Sounds like something is wrong with that pump. I get more with the Symphony than with any other pump.

Hole in the membrane?

The one I rented is fine.. It has no holes and it makes quite a big suction, when put on Max. It doesn't hurt either. My Swing pump I can turn up to max but only for a little as it starts to hurt.

And as PP suggested, I did try the Swing again, using it on one side and the Symphony on the other side, and I got more from the Swing than I did from the Symphony. I'm going to try it again now since I'm overdue a pumping session (boobies are sore!) so will put the Swing on the other side to see what happens and when I'm done I'll post back here again with the amounts.

Wish me luck!

Jarred - 12/June/2007 - BF for 3 months - stopped due to medical reasonsLilly - 4/May/2010 BF for 8 months - On strike between 1/1/2011 - 29/3/2011 - That's 12 Weeks and 3 days!! It is FINALLY over!
Together we battle with Cows milk, nuts and soya allergies, but we're making it!
We , , and too, but we had problems..EP'ED for 3 months!

Thomas born Feb 14th 2015 by emcs due to him presenting sideways with a hand first! Trying EBF again!

Re: Nil output with hospital grade pump??

i think the flanges are too small!! I'm currently pumping and I'm noticing a major difference between the two sizes.. Hrmmm

-Edit

I want to cry. I'm putting this pumping thing to the test and it's the last straw and I'm not achieving the goal I want to achieve! I'm so ready to pack it all in and take the easy way out. DD didn't want mummy milk today in her bottle... she even wasn't very interested when mixed with her formula. WHY AM I BOTHERING??

Last edited by @llli*bbmomma; February 9th, 2011 at 10:11 AM.

Jarred - 12/June/2007 - BF for 3 months - stopped due to medical reasonsLilly - 4/May/2010 BF for 8 months - On strike between 1/1/2011 - 29/3/2011 - That's 12 Weeks and 3 days!! It is FINALLY over!
Together we battle with Cows milk, nuts and soya allergies, but we're making it!
We , , and too, but we had problems..EP'ED for 3 months!

Thomas born Feb 14th 2015 by emcs due to him presenting sideways with a hand first! Trying EBF again!

Re: Nil output with hospital grade pump??

have you been working with an LC who could check the rental pump and fit you properly sized flanges?

we do occasionally come across women whose bodies don't respond as well to hospital grade pumps. i worked with a client who was EP for twins in the NICU and did better with her Swing as well.

big for feeling downcast today. i have seen babies reject mamas milk in the bottle, but take formula, and in my experience it's been because they preferred mama straight from the tap. i have not seen your other posts so i don't know if you are still latching or not, but do you think that this could be the case with your DD too? *ETA: just saw your signature Re: the nursing strike.

JoEllen married to Jason 10-29-2005.

Mama to Logan 12-26-2007 Breastfed for 2 years and weaned on his own terms

Our Lincoln 6-11-2011 to 9-12-2011
my homebirthed-water baby, who was born with a broken heart

And our special blessing, Leonidas 9-5-2012. A toddler who loves his "boops!"

Re: Nil output with hospital grade pump??

have you been working with an LC who could check the rental pump and fit you properly sized flanges?

we do occasionally come across women whose bodies don't respond as well to hospital grade pumps. i worked with a client who was EP for twins in the NICU and did better with her Swing as well.

big for feeling downcast today. i have seen babies reject mamas milk in the bottle, but take formula, and in my experience it's been because they preferred mama straight from the tap. i have not seen your other posts so i don't know if you are still latching or not, but do you think that this could be the case with your DD too? *ETA: just saw your signature Re: the nursing strike.

Heyo. I called Medela and they suggested I pay the extra £11.00 for bigger sized flanges and if they didn't help then they would set me up with an LC. Thing is, I've already spent so much on this I'm now short on my other bills.. so I have to wait until next pay day so I can get them..
I do have something good to report though. I've been able to express a max of 3/4oz at a time which gives me a good half of DD's feed at night, so I give my bm to her in a bottletop and then she has her formula in the special breast shaped bottle with a newborn teat. She drinks all my bm down just so long as it's not in a bottle.
DD now takes my breast in her mouth but won't suck it. I'm going to give up trying to get her to latch and just pump for her. It'll only be until she is 1.. unless I feel like going on for longer.

Thanks for your thoughts and encouragement. Every little bit helps.

Jarred - 12/June/2007 - BF for 3 months - stopped due to medical reasonsLilly - 4/May/2010 BF for 8 months - On strike between 1/1/2011 - 29/3/2011 - That's 12 Weeks and 3 days!! It is FINALLY over!
Together we battle with Cows milk, nuts and soya allergies, but we're making it!
We , , and too, but we had problems..EP'ED for 3 months!

Thomas born Feb 14th 2015 by emcs due to him presenting sideways with a hand first! Trying EBF again!

Re: Nil output with hospital grade pump??

Originally Posted by @llli*dara

(((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))) to you momma. You are trying SO HARD for your LO.

hang in there!

Thanks! ((((((((((Hugs to you too))))))))))))

Jarred - 12/June/2007 - BF for 3 months - stopped due to medical reasonsLilly - 4/May/2010 BF for 8 months - On strike between 1/1/2011 - 29/3/2011 - That's 12 Weeks and 3 days!! It is FINALLY over!
Together we battle with Cows milk, nuts and soya allergies, but we're making it!
We , , and too, but we had problems..EP'ED for 3 months!

Thomas born Feb 14th 2015 by emcs due to him presenting sideways with a hand first! Trying EBF again!

Re: Nil output with hospital grade pump??

2 weeks later and I'm still not getting more than a half ounce combined. Time to give up and start giving DD the big bad F all the time, I think. maybe I'm just not cut out to bf. Sigh. I have what looks like a letdown but it's tiny ans lasts only a few seconds. And then that's it. Nothing else comes out. If I then leave the milk to stand in the fridge it seperates so there is def cream. If I had a newborn this would be expected.. but I don't.

I've been so crabby today because I'm upset that all my efforts to pump are amounting to nothing.

Jarred - 12/June/2007 - BF for 3 months - stopped due to medical reasonsLilly - 4/May/2010 BF for 8 months - On strike between 1/1/2011 - 29/3/2011 - That's 12 Weeks and 3 days!! It is FINALLY over!
Together we battle with Cows milk, nuts and soya allergies, but we're making it!
We , , and too, but we had problems..EP'ED for 3 months!

Thomas born Feb 14th 2015 by emcs due to him presenting sideways with a hand first! Trying EBF again!